Apple fans are starting to return their Vision Pros
Apple fans are starting to return their Vision Pros
That 14-day return window is fast approaching.
Apple fans are starting to return their Vision Pros::The return window for the very first Apple Vision Pro buyers is fast approaching — and some have taken to social media to explain why they won’t be keeping their headsets.
Some people are returning it because they had expectations that using VR would be immediately comfortable. The headset is heavier and more poorly strapped/distributed than 'alternatives' but it's also graphically far more stunning. I honestly hope they stay in the game and push the competitors to up their game. maybe we can get pancake lenses, foveated rendering and eye tracking in a $1500 package.
Apple deserves to be humbled for once!
The problem with AVP is that it constantly feels extremely lonely. The fun part about VR is playing stuff together, games, being in the same room even if others are in different countries, have funny full size avatars, interact in a "vr-chat" kind of way. VR is supposed to be a fun version of our world. AVP is extremely serious, too "professional" focused, and especially b o r i n g. All you do on AVP is exactly the same that you would do by yourself with your current devices already. Just even more isolated from the world. And even the most enthusiastic Apple users eventually get this feeling when using AVP. While stuff like Quest 3, Valve Index, PSVR2 all might look "cheap" and "not polished" at first, while using them all you get is "wooow" factor and fun. AVP, yes its well crafted and polished, but it does basically nothing and feels lonely inside it.
I've been in the Apple ecosystem for pretty much most of my life, and I'm all for what the AVP is bringing to the table. However, one VR enthusiast Youtuber I watched recently (Thrillseeker) put down the most compelling argument against the AVP I've seen thus far. The AVP does well what all the other headsets don't, but the AVP also kind of sucks at what other headsets have learned to do well. At the price of the AVP, not only could you buy a Quest 3, but you'd have enough leftover to just build an entire VR Gaming rig to back it up. Then you'd have a setup exponentially more capable than what the AVP is offering.
Open Source and Open API or bust. Simple as that for me.
As someone who is unironically into a lot of VR stuff and even owns a pricey headset myself, I did not understand the appeal from the features I've seen past looking """cool""". Even the stuff that looks at least somewhat fun or useful doesnt seem worth it considering the price, especially now that reviews are reporting there are basic features that cheaper headsets perform much better at and are way more comfortable.
I dislike Apple, but this is the way future will like. AR (and maybe VR, but who knows) will definitely be amazing in a decade or so. BUT I think some people will still stick to smartphones, especially ones who don't want to spend their whole day with technology and social media.
I am definitely buying an AR headset, as long as it's affordable and can replace at least half of the tasks I do on my computer/phone. The AR device with Windows 11 and computing power of standard computer would be just fucking amazing, and I wouldn't go back.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Parker Ortolani, The Verge’s product manager, told me that he thought using the device led to a burst blood vessel in his eye.
“Despite being as magical to use as I’d hoped, it was simply way too uncomfortable to wear even for short periods of time both due to the weight and the strap designs.
For smart glasses and headsets, having a low nose bridge can mean the device just slips off your face or fails to adequately block out light.
Another engineer wrote on the social media platform X that the “coding experience failed to convince [him]” and focusing issues caused headaches.
“If I’m not using this for productivity, and if I don’t love it for entertainment, and if there aren’t enough games to play on it - I just can’t justify keeping it,” one Reddit user wrote.
While these users are speaking out on social media, we have no idea of the actual return rate — or what Apple’s internal expectations for the Vision Pro are.
The original article contains 621 words, the summary contains 168 words. Saved 73%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!
Called it.
So, is VR actually good, or is it mostly just for wealthy silicon valley furries to hang out with each other in VRchat, like everyone used to do in second life? The only game that really comes to mind as being something that's even close to a killer app is beatsaber, and that's basically just DDR with your upper body. I really haven't seen much support, both in the way of games, and more importantly, in the way of, say, 3d modelling apps, or something to that effect. Utility software, stuff that's useful, but is specifically more convenient in virtual reality, stuff that might be benefited by the platform. But then, it's not really something I've looked into much.
Apple pitched the Vision Pro as if VR hadn't wasn't already a thing that's been around for a while. While the VP has some higher specs particularly in its display it lacks in areas like field of view, comfort, game selection and portability. The first group of people that would be interested are those who already own or have used other VR systems. They those people won't see the VP as such a jump. Especially considering it's locked to the Apples app store with not many VR options. The second group is composed of people who have been out of the loop and think this is the begining of VR. I think thats the camp more likely to return the unit once they realize it's just a novelty in its current state.